Stretchy bind off: Jeny's surprisingly stretchy method
Stretchy bind off with Jeny's method (JSSBO): a yarn over before each stitch lets the edge stretch and spring back. Step by step, for knit and purl stitches.
By Julia WallinCo-founder and editor
Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off (JSSBO) is a widely used stretchy bind off. You make a yarn over before each stitch, work the stitch, then lift the yarn over and the previous stitch over it. The extra yarn lets the edge stretch and spring back. It is worked like the standard bind off, with a yarn over added before each stitch.
The yarn over
The yarn over depends on the next stitch:
Before a knit stitch: a reverse yarn over. The yarn is at the back. Take it over the top of the needle towards you, then back under the needle to the back.
Before a purl stitch: a normal yarn over. The yarn is in front. Take it over the top of the needle away from you, then back under the needle to the front.
How to work it
Make the yarn over that matches the next stitch.
Work the stitch as it appears: knit the knits and purl the purls.
On the first stitch, use the left needle tip to lift the yarn over over the stitch you just worked and off the needle.
From the second stitch on, lift the yarn over and the previous stitch together over the stitch you just worked and off the needle.
Repeat steps 1, 2 and 4 until one stitch remains.
Cut the yarn. Pull the last loop up until the tail comes through, then tighten. Do not thread the tail through the loop, or you get a small "ear" at the corner.
If lifting both together is hard, lift the yarn over first and then the stitch. Tutorials describe the reverse yarn over as clockwise, anticlockwise or front to back, depending on where you look from. Follow the description above.
In rib
JSSBO works on 1×1 and 2×2 rib. Change the yarn over each time the next stitch changes between knit and purl. The edge gets a slightly beaded look.
When to use it
Use it where an edge must stretch: toe-up sock cuffs, ribbed neckbands, hat brims, mitten cuffs and lace that you block hard. On 1×1 rib, the tubular bind off is also stretchy and gives a rounded edge with no beads.
Common mistakes
A normal yarn over before a knit stitch. Before knit stitches, the yarn over must be reversed.
Pulling each stitch tight after you work it. The edge then stretches less. Keep the stitches relaxed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the stretchiest bind off?
Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off is the usual choice when an edge needs a lot of stretch. On 1×1 rib, the tubular bind off is also very stretchy and looks rounder.
What does the yarn over do in a stretchy bind off?
Each yarn over adds a little extra yarn to the edge. That extra yarn lets the edge stretch and spring back.
Which direction is a reverse yarn over?
Over the top of the needle towards you, then back under the needle. It is the mirror image of a normal yarn over.
Is JSSBO too loose for normal edges?
It is made to stretch, so on edges that do not need stretch it can look loose. Use the standard bind off there.
Co-founder and editor at Knyt. Knits every guide before it is published.
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